The present invention relates to a marking product. More particularly it relates to a marking product used by dentists and orthodontists.
Dentists and orthodontists often require in their practice, a product capable of marking teeth, braces, other orthodontic apparatuses, dentures, partial dentures, bridges or restorations. For instance, when removing braces from a patient, it is often necessary for the orthodontist to leave reference marks on the wires to ensure accurate cutting or bending for adjustments. Further, it is also often necessary for dentists to place reference marks on dentures, partial dentures and various other dental appliances for adjustment procedures. Thus, it is common practice for dentists and orthodontists to use a marking product.
There are numerous types of marking apparatuses used by dentists and orthodontists presently. For instance, products such as "China Markers" or wax pencils are frequently utilized by dentists and orthodontists today. A China Marker is a type of pencil which comprises a colored wax circumferentially wrapped by a helically wound strand of paper. When the colored wax is depleted, the paper is unwrapped to expose a new surface of wax. Thus, one China Marker could last a fairly long time. However, this prior marker has the disadvantage in that it is not orally hygienic. For example, one marker is often used on numerous patients containing various infections. The current fear of many patients of contacting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, makes a more hygienic product particularly desirable. Due to the cost of manufacturing such a prior marker, it would be economically disadvantageous to discard the marker after a single use.
Thus there appears to be a need for a dental marking product which is more orally hygienic than prior art markers.